going to see the first debate between mitt romney and president obama. health care is a key issue, one of the biggest, in fact. and it is back in the spotlight after romney said people without insurance can always just go to an emergency room. now, with barely a month ago before the election, i want to zero in on what is at stake here. since president obama's health care law was enacted, 3.1 million people under the age of 26 are now covered by their parents' plans, andñr preventiv care also is available. many benefitted from prescription drugs. >> seniors who fall in the coverage gap known as the donut help will start to get help. they receive $250, paying for prescriptions, helping with the donut hole. >> 5 million seniors have saved

money on the prescription drugs since the law was started. he also plans to slow spending on medicare. >> i have strengthened medicare, we have added years to the life of medicare. we did it by getting rid of taxpayer subsidies and insurance companies that were not making people healthier. >> by 2014, the law requires everybody to have health insurance, whether they purchase it themselves or through their employers. and insurers can't deny you if you have a pre-existing condition or increase your rate. the law has become a cornerstone of the obama campaign. >> i refuse to eliminate health insurance for millions of americans who are poor, and elderly, or disabled. also those with the most can pay lessor owe. >> reporter: but romney says the affordable care act is not affordable. >> we know that health care is too expensive. obama care doesn't make it less expensive. >> reporter: he wants obama cari

gone, including the drug prescriptions for seniors. but he wants to keep pieces of the health care plan. although he doesn't say how it will work. >> we have to make sure that people who have pre-existing conditions are able to get insured. and folks who don't get sick don't get dropped by their insurance companies. >> reporter: romney and his running mate, paul ryan, proposed to cut medicaid by the next ten years, give states more control over their medicaid funds. overhaul medicare, people now younger than 55, when they reach retirement would have the option of getting a voucher to purchase private insurance. or they could stick with traditional medicare. >> this is designed to guarantee that seniors can always afford medicare coverage, no exceptions. >> now, there is major differences between the candidates, but perhaps the biggest split is over medicaid.

many think of it as a safety net for the poor. but what it actually covers is poor families, pregnant women, people with disabilities as well as senior citizens. there is a lot to talk about. and andrew rubin joins me to talk about it. he oversees the doctors at the medical center. i hope i got it right, thank you for joining us. you know, you and i talked about this before. medicaid covers one in five americans, including more than one in three children. why -- how do you explain this as being a big issue for seniors. >> okay, well, there are -- there are millions of americans in the medicare program. but there are 9 million medicare beneficiaries, 9 million, who are also eligible for medicaid. and these tend to be disabled americans, so they could be under 65. but the bulk of these people are over 65 and poor, and they have no assets, no money, so they rely on medicaid to pick up a lot of the cost and services that medicare doesn't cover.

long-term care, as you said, being a big one. >> so some of the changes that are being proposed, for example, with obama care, what does it mean for the seniors. >> well, for obama care, for the eligible seniors, there should be no change. there are cost provisions for health care, but everybody knows they're under way, we have to talk about the health care system, medicare included. but what we're really talking about is the difference between what president obama h in the health care reform law, and what paul ryan talks about, which is transferring state dollars to the block grant, which essentially gives the states control over the medicaid dollars, and therefore, reduce costs and cut services. there will be fewer dollars for medicaid beneficiaries, so anyone who is getting medicaid there will be less services available. >> you know, of course when you talk to the romney folks, they

say medicare is too expensive. and they consider this giving the states more flexibility in how they run this program. so is that a bad idea at that level? >> you know, sanjay, this is a really big issue, i don't think anybody doesn't want to help people the most in need. and people who rely on the medicaid system tend to be the most in need. and i don't think there is any argument about that. and any democrat or republican wouldn't say we should not help these people. but what can we afford? president obama says we can afford this, for what we put into law. and the republican platform, so far on health care reform is we have to make do with less. and there is no one right answer here, they're just two very different philosophical differences. >> andrew rubin, thank you so

much. and coming up, a treatment for melanoma, a type of skin cancer. hey! did you know that honey nut cheerios

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and the candidate's speech is in pieces all over the district. the writer's desktop and the coordinator's phone are working on a joke with local color. the secure cloud just received a revised intro from the strategist's tablet. and while i make my way into the venue, the candidate will be rehearsing off of his phone. [ candidate ] and thanks to every young face i see out there. [ woman ] his phone is one of his biggest supporters. [ female announcer ] with cisco at the center... working together has never worked so well. like the elephant on my chest... he thought he was having a heart attack. she said, "take an aspirin, we need to go to the hospital." i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i'm very grateful to be alive. aspirin really made a difference.

. they call it their version of the moon shot program. and one big target is melanoma, a malignant skin cancer, very difficult to treat. but i did see why there was so much couldn't about it. at 32 years old, brian was chasing a dream, a baseball coach, working his way up towards the big leagues. but in april, 2010, he saw a troubling spot in the mirror. >> i mean every morning you brush your teeth and see it. but i had the mind set, if i heal okay, nothing is wrong. >> that was key, he felt fine, he didn't think he needed to get checked out. but his girlfriend, lupe, insisted. and she was right.

it was skin cancer, melanoma, and six months later, brian's doctor said it had spread to his lung. >> i remembered the specific question when he kind of pulled me aside, and said, now, do you understand what we're -- we're dealing with, here? and if you break it down even further, i think he was asking me do you understand that this could kill you? >> once it spreads, melanoma is almost always deadly, but the odds are different now. one reason is the drug he received. listen closely to the way brian describes that medication. >> i have seen these things pop up while taking this drug, and you see them go away, and they come back up, and go away. >> eventually, you want the tumor to stop growing. >> did you see evidence of that? >> yeah, i sure did. >> it works on certain types of

melanoma that carries a specific type of gene, they can target with the medicine. the fda made the drug available just months after it approved another new medication, you see, cancer cells can play a trick on the body, putting out a signal that slows down the immune system. just like the brakes on a car. >> what does this do, how does it work? >> it takes the brakes off this thing so it can go after the cancer cell. >> it does not always work, but about 10% of the time, the tumor shrinks by 50%, sometimes going away entirely. this new drug is turning the tide against a new type of cancers. now, often this comes with a sticker shock, for example, avastin, 88,000 there$88,000 a s

medication. others, very expensive, and this is 124,000 for four doses, big sticker shock, not taking into account the hundreds of thousands, and for what the physician charges, all of it goes into the cost. and it adds up quick. as part of the clinical trial, brian got the drug free, but could only continue because the company that makes the drug agreed to keep providing it. >> i think with the drug, i could see the scans and that the disease was going away. and i knew that good things were happening. you kind of get a taste of what that was like before cancer. >> and what it takes. a year after his diagnosis, brian and lupe got married. in some people, the drug works miracles, the problem is, they

don't last. >> i've had patients that have been bedridden that could take their kids to disney world. so it has had dramatic responses. the issue is, they object last a few months -- only last a few months, then the tumor comes back. >> reporter: and this time, he told him it was time to try something else. >> this is where we initiate all the cultures. >> reporter: brian is the only one to receive this, the doctor takes the immune cells from his tumor, they can attack the cancer. the doctor nutures the cells, then grows other cells, which act as a vaccine, helping it to become more in his body. in effect, it is an anti-cancer smart bomb. >> you have had other patients who have had advanced melanoma,

going through this therapy. there are not many patients right now. it is brand-new. how have some of the patients done? >> well, the response rate is 40-50%, very high for this type of melanoma. some have done very well, without any sign of disease. >> again, remember, most of these patients would otherwise die in eight months. if this keeps going well, the doctor hopes to make it much more available. and he says the cancer field as a whole, is at a turning point. >> you know, if we do this right, in 20 years, hopefully dying of cancer will be similar to patients dying of pneumonia. that it still can happen, but when somebody dies of pneumonia, you say hey, that is a little unusual. >> and to get there, somebody has to pave the way. >> and i'm ready for it. >> now, they have been getting brian ready for the past few y days, he will get the infusion on monday, it will be a while before they do follow-ups, and

see how he is doing, we'll keep an eye on him and let you know how he is doing. up next, as a parent you don't want to miss this. >> so here we go on a tour. fast-food restaurant play area, it can be a breeding ground for bacteria like you wouldn't believe. there are a million reasons why. but your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions

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you can see, there is trash. >> you're listening to erin jordan there, the

bacteria-fighting month. she is busy documenting the dirt she finds in fast food play areas. and like me, i'll tell you she is concerned about her child's safety. welcome back to the program, erin. >> thank you so much. >> you know, one of the things you said, if this is happening in my town, it is likely happening in yours. that really caught my attention. tell us how you got started with it. >> this just happened by chance, i was with one of my sons, we were in an established restaurant with a play area. i followed him in. and right away, we noticed a very big problem that needed fixing, problems with the equipment, broken equipment, second story windows that were broken. and it was just absolutely disgusting, smelled like urine, covered with graffiti. it obviously -- you could tell

something was wrong. >> and yes, the filth, you could tell that somebody could break a limb or something. you know just last week, governor jerry brown vetoed a bill that would establish the cleaning for the restaurant playgrounds, and the person that wrote about it, said until there is new evidence that the problem warra warrants more state law, let's look at the mandate. that was his quote. and he says look, let the local folks basically handle this. let's not do this at the state level. there is not enough evidence. what do you say to him? >> well, i would say the data that supports it is the largest and most comprehensive ever collected. it was far larger, i am a very concerned mom. also i'm a researcher, we looked at many locations and clearly the local authorities don't have the authority.

it is not within their band width of jurisdiction to go in there. in fact, somebody at the environmental health department testified and said hey, listen, we don't go in there right now. not only do we not include it in the inspections, but we can't require anything in the event that the problem exists. >> i think a lot of people don't realize there is a local health authority or other person that has a jurisdiction. i should point out, as well, you also noted that the maricopa county board of supervisors voted unanimously for the health care changes you pushed for, for so long. and that has become law. where you live. i know you have had a lot to do with it. so where do you go next from here? >> i'm working with other states around the country. i am still very optimistic that this will be picked up on a federal level so that there is a consensus across the 50 states. i really think there is a

concern that there is no discrepancy between the states, i am very hopeful that the senators across the country will say hey, we recognize there is a problem and we want to keep the children in our states safe. and i intend to meet with people in texas, and so on and so forth around the country in the coming months. >> we have been telling people, you're on a crusade, and you are. and thank you for bringing it to light. a lot of people were not aware of it. so thank you so much. erin carr, thank you so much. and think about this, ahead, is your cell phone at risk? how do you look at the risk of radiati radiation. there is important stuff here. and first, motorcycles are dangerous, when you add rider's going at top speeds, the stakes are pretty high. imagine being on that track and not being able to hear anything at all. for this lady erks motocross

racing is in her blood. >> my dad brought me to a race, i was three years old and fell in love. >> but there is something different about ashley. she can't hear a thing. ashley was born completely deaf and speaks to us through a translator and her friend, natalie. >> i grew up not hearing, i was born deaf. >> here, hearing the opponents coming can be the difference between losing and winning. she really stands alone. >> she has to hold the lines when i ride, because it is hard to see if somebody is coming up behind me. >> she also uses the vibrations of the engine. she is the only deaf rider ever to compete in motocross and was trying for her fourth championship title. >> i feel really good, hit every double, i hope i can win the

championship. >> and she achieved just that, beating out her closest rival for the national championship. but for ashley, it is about more than just winning. >> i think it is really cool to be a role model for the deaf community and really cool to have people look up to you. >> and for natalie, her friend's impact is obvious, as well. >> she is very important to women's motocross, an idol to the young women, whether she is deaf or not. she is smaller than i am and if she can ride a dirt bike like that, it is crazy. >> proof that anything is possible. hmm, it says here that cheerios helps lower cholesterol as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios

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-- captions by vitac --

www.vitac.com we've only been using cell phones regularly in this country since 1996, and that is important, because it takes time to get answers. so when we hear that they're 100% safe, we actually don't know. >> but here is what we do know, the longest international study called inter found, found that people who are studied with the most heavy cell phone use in ten years, in fact, double their risk of a type of tumor. and the world health organization look at the cell phone use as critical as lead paint or diesel. it is pretty simple. lessen your exposure, i use a wired ear piece, also try not to talk with the phone directly against your head or body. even the safety manual for this

blackberry, for example, i don't think people read this, but it says to keep the phone at least an inch away from your body. also keep away from a place with a weak signal, because the phone is also working harder and bringing through more radiation. hope that helps, going to wrap things up, you can stay connected with sanjaygupta.cnn. time for a check of the top stories. you're in the cnn news room, i'm susan hendrick, in for john lemon. and an up date on the news, first court appearance today in connection with a missing student, christian aguilar, now he says he got into a fight with him on the night he went missing. police say the murder charge against bravo